Related articles

hese letters were so distressing for me - even more so because we didn’t know if they were even real or not

Dorothy Edwards

One sentence reads: “looked into your account furtheer regarding your complaint, and have found theat when thee account was billed on thee 17the august 2016 for £899.15 thee payment amounts had already been scheduled to decrease on thee 19the August [sic].”

Another line says: “Withe theis been said and thee correct actions we have taken to inform you and staying withein thee direct debit guarantee guidelines.

“Unfortunately at theis time we wouldn’t be compensating £250.00 to thee account which you confirmed to myself [sic].”

The grandmother-of-two, whose husband Douglas died in 1999, said: “These letters were so distressing for me - even more so because we didn’t know if they were even real or not.

SWNS

She was rendered speechless after receiving the nonsensical letter

"It was just complete and utter gobbledygook.”

Her son Philip Edwards, 68, a company director described the letter as “a triumph of Pidgin English” and said he initially thought it was a scam from overseas.

He said: The letters were so poorly put together I thought it was a scam coming in from a third world country.

“I thought that was the only logical explanation, like those ones you get about needing money to be sent across.”

SWNS

Dorothy Edwards was a wartime heroine

But he was also furious that the demands were being sent to his elderly mother who set up a direct debit in 2014 to pay her bills.

At first British Gas took £93.50 per month before decreased it to £37.13 in line with her modest usage.

But the family say that suddenly the charge shot up and she was shocked to receive a bill demanding nearly £900.

This later mounted up to almost £1,300 - leading to the family querying what was happening.

“I didn’t think it was a laughing matter and it annoyed me - sending these letters demanding payment from a 92-year-old widow is just not right is it.

SWNS

The gas fireplace in the home of war heorine Dorothy Edwards

“My mother was turning her heating down because these bullies were sending her false letters thinking that she was using too much heating.

“My mother did not fault on any payment what-so-ever and so she was at the very least entitled to compensation due the stress caused by these letters,” he said.

Red-faced British Gas officials conceded today the letter sent to Mrs Edwards “wasn’t up to the standards we expect in our customer communications”.